Kyra Tirana Barry

Kyra Tirana Barry is a passionate leader and tireless advocate focusing on new or turn around organizations with specific attention to refreshed strategic direction and bringing stakeholders together around a common executable goal. Most recently, Kyra has spent over a decade promoting sport-based youth development for underserved communities as the President of Beat the Streets New York, which uses the sport of wrestling to teach life-long skills; as founding Chair of Beat the Streets National, which brings together all US BTS city programs to elevate the mission and expand the reach; and, as a member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s NY Leadership Council which supports the Soccer for Success youth program. Kyra continues as an advocate for girls and women’s wrestling at the youth and collegiate level.

Kyra is currently founding chair of Govern for America, a two-year fellowship that matches recent graduates with full time state-level jobs and supports them to become our nation’s future public service leaders. Kyra is the chair of the Urban School Food Alliance Advisory Board working to address the needs of the nation’s largest school districts and the students they feed. She is also a board member of Species Unite, highlighting the plight of animals around the globe; Downtown Women for Change, a grassroots advocacy organization founded by and for New York women; and The Play Company.

Kyra is Chair Emerita of the Columbia College Alumni Association (CCAA) and has held many leadership positions at Columbia including as the first alumna to head the CCAA and a former member of the Columbia College Board of Visitors. She is also the recipient of the College’s John Jay Award for Professional Achievement, Columbia University’s Alumni Medal and Columbia Athletics’ Varsity C Alumni award.

Kyra received her BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University’s Columbia College in 1987 as a member of the first fully co-ed class and a founding member of the Varsity Soccer Team. She spent twelve years in public transportation policy and government relations at the US Congress, NYC Mayor’s Office, NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and NJ Department of Transportation. Kyra was Team Leader for the 2016 USA Women’s Wrestling Olympic Team and was USA Wrestling’s Woman of the Year in 2015.